'It Begins With You' Attachment

Today was the first day of my much awaited hospital attachment at Sungai Buloh Hospital after half a year of investing my time in non-medical related stuff.And working for marketing in a medical university doesn't count.

Just to probably state if for the umpteen time today, I've taken up an elective hospital attachment which is co-organised by Merck,Malaysian Society for HIV Medicine and Malaysian Aids Council.It's meant to create an awareness on the state of HIV and Aids in Malaysia hence the name It Begins With You.I was lucky enough to come by the opportunity when my junior, Sheah Lin offered the place to me at work a few months back.The best part about it, they actually give us an allowance for the five days attachment.How cool is that?I can't say that either the perks or the experience was the motivation to take up the attachment back then,it was more of an itch to be moving around.Nevertheless,it got me there today.Which means that i'm back again in vista for hopefully the last time but who knows?Currently taken in by my most generous junior,Alicia.Totally feel like a free loader,everything just seems to come by chance.

Something really hit me today,speaking to HIV patients is a total different ball game from speaking to patients with less stigmatized diseases.I guess i'm guilty of the stigmatization as well in a way.I initially had a fear of approaching the subject with them and that felt weird considering the fact that i've been taught over and over again for the last 2 and a half years to do the basic of conversing with patients.The doctor we were shadowing were of no help,he told me these were soft skills that one picks up on the way and can't be taught.It was half a day before we finally had the chance to clerk a patient of maybe i should call it a chat.Surprisingly these patients having gone through the worse in their lives comes out and share it openly with us.It gives me this sense of humility.We as medical students in our sparkly white coats,we crack our head to put things in a more acceptable way in our view of a perfect society when the best way was just to speak not like a medical student but as a friend.

Even though the people i spoke to today were all HIV positive,they weren't afraid to pour out their hopes and dreams,some even gave us the insight of what being drug addicts meant.It's amazing that knowing that what they have gone through is something not easily accepted by the society,they didn't fear stigmatization,didn't feel upset if they were,they had the courage to admit up to it and were deeply insighted cos they knew they were only misunderstood due to the lack of education on HIV.Silly me,having to fear that it would be awkward to raise the topic just because i thought is was something of a taboo or a sensitive issue.I genuinely felt they had the will to change things for themselves and do better for the future.All that awaits is for people to change their perception and give them a chance to be accepted back into the society.And no..not all HIV positive patients are iv drug users or homosexuals.(Some people just happen to land in that unlucky zone of getting infected by chance)If you did think that,please get educated.The net is ur best tool.If you can youtube or blog...i'm pretty sure you can search up HIV info.